#Sergio Garcia talks Masters win and Ryder Cup success

Q: What were your emotions putting on the green jacket?

A: Difficult to describe. For me, the year from 2017 to 2018 when I was able to travel with the green jacket around the world and take it to different spots, to me the most amazing thing was to see how much the green jacket meant all over the world. I mean, we all know how important it is, but once you start traveling with it — and take it to Spain and the Middle East and Australia and some of the parts of the world — and you see how much it means to everyone, I knew the Masters was huge but I didn’t know it was this big.

Q: An example?

A: The people just look at it, and they’re like even afraid of touching it, they’re like, “Ohmigod …” It’s almost like they can’t even believe it that they’re in front of it. That obviously was a great feeling to be a part of that and to be able to show it around and for the people to enjoy it, so that was great.

Q: How did winning the Masters change your career?

A: It definitely gave a big boost to my career, without a doubt, because winning a major and winning Augusta, it’s something very, very special. It’s something you want to have on your career.

Q: Was it worth the wait after 73 straight majors without winning?

A: It was worth the wait. I wish that I didn’t have to wait that long. There’s other guys that are still waiting, so at least we got that.

Q: Where is your confidence now going into this Masters?

A: I feel good about my game. I feel like I’m hitting the ball nicely. I feel like every part of my game is in very good shape — it obviously could be better without a doubt, but it can always be. But I’m excited about it. I just hope and wish that I can go to Augusta next week and carry some of those good feelings and give myself a shot at a second jacket. I feel good about it.

Q: Are you putting with your eyes closed?

A: Yes. … I practiced with it several times. It’s quite simple. At the end of the day, what I want is for my stroke to be as good as possible, so then I can hit the best spot to give myself a chance of making it. It doesn’t mean that I’m gonna make it, but at least I give myself a shot at it. And I feel like sometimes when I putt with my eyes open, I get too caught up in trying to make it too perfect. And it doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect. I feel like with my eyes closed, I’m able to get that smoothness in my stroke and it helps me to do that.

Q: How would you characterize your style?

A: I think my style is very natural to start with. Maybe a little bit unique, but I like to be aggressive. Obviously when I feel good, I feel like I can go at any flag at any moment. I like to play with that energy.

Q: You like Augusta?

A: I love it. It’s an amazing golf course. It’ll be fun to see it in November, see how it plays.

Q: What did Spanish compatriot Seve Ballesteros mean to you?

A: He was huge. My father knew him, he was a little bit younger than my dad. When my dad introduced me, I was a little kid, and I loved golf already, and he was one of my idols, him and [Jose Maria] Olazabal. He always meant a lot.

Q: What was it about the way Ballesteros played?

A: I just loved the charisma and the creativity that he had. You could never put him away. It seemed like he would always find a way of hitting an amazing shot and just kind of keep the round going. When he was in his prime, it was just amazing to be able to watch some of the things he was able to do.

Q: What kind of guy was he?

A: He was a nice guy. Some of the guys from the north, they’re a little bit like rougher, maybe not as open or as loose as some of the guys from the south of Spain or the middle part of Spain. It was great to kind of pick his brain and dream about golf and some of the things that he was able to do. And obviously he helped me a lot when I was coming out, 15, 16 years old, played practice rounds together with him at the U.S. Open and at Augusta when I was 19. Obviously that was an amazing treat for me.

Q: Was there one piece of advice he gave you that stuck with you?

A: He always kind of said to always believe in yourself, which is kind of the thing that he was really good at, like never give up. When things are going tough, just keep at it and believe that you’re gonna find a way all the way through. For me, it’s a shame [because] I would love to been able to play with him when he would have been more in his prime. When I started playing some of the European Tour events as an amateur, he had back problems and was struggling a little bit with his game. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to play with him in the late ’80s or something like that.

Q: There was a time you were quoted as saying, “I’m not good enough” at Augusta in 2013.

A: It was just frustrating. It was a Saturday, I remember I played with Rory [McIlroy] that day, I think. We didn’t have a great Saturday, and I felt like it was a good chance for me to put myself in a good position to have a decent chance on Sunday, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that. It was what I felt at that time, it didn’t mean that I believed it, because I would have stopped playing and I would have stopped playing majors and something like that. But it was one of those moments where you feel frustrated and I just kind of laid it out and let everyone know.

Q: They say you’ve mellowed since you married Angela and had two children.

A: Yeah, I would say so. As you get older, you realize what is the most important things in your life, and obviously golf, it’s important, but it’s not the most important thing. My family, it’s more important. I go out there and I give my best every week, and sometimes some weeks my best is really good, and some other weeks my best is not quite as good. But at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask yourself for.

Q: Is there one particular thing you regretted doing on the course?

A: Yes, there’s always things you wish you would have done differently or better. But at the end of the day, we are all humans and we all make mistakes, and like I said, you learn from it, and you try to be true to yourself and that’s one thing that I’ve always done, I try to be as truthful as I can be, and what people see, that’s what they get. There’s no mask on my face.

Q: Describe your favorite Ryder Cup experience.

A: There have been so many, it’s difficult to pick just one. Obviously, 2018 was amazing for everything. Not only obviously because we won, and we played great, but the course was amazing, the crowds were unbelievable. And also the city [Guyancourt, France] was great and the weather was great. It was a great mix all together. There’s been great moments with playing four-balls with [Lee] Westwood and foursomes and playing four-balls with Olazabal in Ireland. … I love playing for my country and my continent in the States when it comes down to the Ryder Cup, and I always feel very, very proud to represent my people there.

Q: What is your most bitter or painful defeat?

Q: There have been different ones, but I think 2007, the British Open, that was pretty tough. I felt like I played so well and I felt like I did so many good things, and unfortunately I didn’t get the W, but you learn from them and try to get better.

Q: Describe the 1999 PGA at Medinah.

A: I would have loved to taken it from Tiger [Woods] at that time. I was 19. For me to really have a chance of winning that tournament was really a thrill, and because of that week it gave me the possibility to make the Ryder Cup team, so that was an amazing experience. Everyone remembers the shot from behind the [16th fairway red oak] tree. It’s one of the key moments of my career.

Q: If you could pick the brain of any golfer in history, who would it be?

A: Probably Ben Hogan. He was an unbelievable ball striker. Everyone always says I can swing a little bit like he did, so it would be nice to pick his brain a little bit and what. he felt when he was swinging or some of the things he was thinking about when he was hitting the ball. All those things would be amazing to kind of know.

Q: You used to challenge people to play for a Coke growing up?

A: (Laugh) On the putting green, yeah, probably when I was 6 or 7, I would be there with some of the members, and I would challenge them to play like a little putting competition for like a Coke or maybe an ice cream or something like that.

Q: You had no fear as a kid.

A: I think that’s a beautiful thing about kids. As a kid you just see only the good things, and you love doing everything, and then obviously as you grow up, and you get a couple maybe bad moments here and there, that makes you we call it have some scar tissue on the brain and on the memories. The tough moments are important because those care the ones you learn from the most.

Q: You were nicknamed “El Niño.”

A: My team from the amateur Spanish national golf team, they gave me that nickname because I was the youngest. I was on the team when I was like 13 or 14 and the rest were like 18 or 20 or 25, and they would always call me Niño.

Q: Your dream as a boy was to play for Real Madrid?

A: (Laugh) I’ve always loved soccer, yeah.

Q: What has your wife meant to you?

A: She means the world to me, her and our kids are everything. She gave me a couple of beautiful, amazing children [Azalea, 2 ¹/₂, and Enzo, 7 months], she’s just my biggest fan and greatest supporter.

Q: How is fatherhood?

A: We’re very thankful, but as you probably know, it’s amazing, but it’s also a lot of work and a lot of worrying, so we try to do our best job.

Q: Any concerns about COVID?

A: Yeah, of course, as everyone does. But at the end of the day, you still have to live your life and you have to be careful while you do. You can’t just be in an absolute bubble and do nothing.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: The Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, Pelé.

Q: Favorite movies?

A: “Man on Fire,” “Jerry Maguire.”

Q: Favorite actor”

A: Denzel Washington.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Charlize Theron.

Q: Favorite singer?

A: Freddie Mercury.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Paella.